A popular brand of toilet paper is under fire after releasing an emotional commercial celebrating single mothers, which some critics have said hijaks a day reserved for dads.

Father's Day, which is this Sunday, is the theme of the two-and-a-half minute video by Angel Soft, which features men and women speaking directly into the camera about their childhoods.

However, instead of paying tribute to their fathers, they praise their moms who raised children alone, thanking them for taking on the dual role of being both mother and father in their children's lives.

What a surprise: A heart-tugging new ad from Angel Soft has an unexpected twist: In the two-minute commercial, grown children wish a happy Father's Day to the single moms who raised them

Unexpected: Angel Soft has come under fire for effectively trying to hijack Father's Day

'The video honors single moms who have to be both mom and dad. Women who have to be soft and strong at the same time. These unsung heroes take on both parental roles and balance them with grace every single day. This year let's also say #HappyFathersDayMom,' reads the clip’s description.

The ad has led to a war of words online, with some dads expressing unhappiness that a day reserved especially for them is being eclipsed, and that single moms should be given credit on Mother’s Day in May.

'You know there are single fathers that play both roles of the parent as well... You would've had a better argument if you acknowledged both,' wrote one commenter, Ivan Seahorn, on YouTube. 'I also find it to be quite a coincidence that you decided to post this video a couple days before father's day. There is a day called mothers day which is the day to celebrate all mother's not just single mother's [sic]'

Even some women have commented that Father's Day should be reserved exclusively for men: 'As women, we pick our mates. The most important choice we make is who we decide to make the father our children. Sometimes we make a bad choice but we shouldn't get a special reward for it,' another commenter, Kayla Hilyard wrote.

The video shows grown men and women tearing up as they recount growing up with moms who handled everything from putting food on the table to fixing the car.

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Overcome: Most of the men and women tear up as they recount growing up with moms who handled it all, from putting food on the table to fixing the car

Old fashioned: While the ad was well-meaning, it could be construed as trading in gender stereotypes. Some might find the suggestion of one parent typically being 'soft' and the other 'strong' regressive

'She did all of it - she did it all, as though she was two people,' one subject says, while another daughter recalls: 'If our car broke down she would say, "Oh, that's the alternator."'

The caption that flashes on the screen reads: 'Sometimes she had to be softer, sometimes she had to be stronger,' the caption reads.

Oneman even describes how his mom taught him to defend himself on the playground: 'She was like, 'When you punch, you put your knuckle out and you just go for it.'

However, Angel Soft said they did not mean to cause disrespect by acknowledging single and divorced mothers on Father's Day.

'We have no intention of taking the spotlight off of the amazing dads out there – rather, we just want to acknowledge and celebrate the single moms who play the roles of both parents as well,' a spokesperson wrote on YouTube.

Unhappy: Commentators online are appalled that company is ignoring fathers instead of honoring them

With thanks: The two-and-a-half-minute video presents various men and women who speak directly to the camera, thanking their moms for being both mothers and fathers in their lives

Meanwhile, Todd Wingfield, a senior brand manager for the company told Advertising Age. 'We celebrate families in all forms, shapes and sizes. Our vision is that this is the first in a series of unique stories we'll be sharing. Dads also play an important role and exemplify those traits of being soft and strong every day.'

But such well-meaning intentions are not having much effect with many vitriolic commentators: 'You acknowledged single Moms without at all acknowledging the amazing Dads. You took the spotlight off of these Dads, and I suspect it wasn't an accident. Angel Soft clearly has something against Dads, or at the very least, will pander to women at the expense of Dads everywhere. Done to women, this would rightfully be called sexism. Shame on you.'

Despite the raging arguments, one online commenter thought of a way the company can put things right in due course: 'What about single Fathers? I expect a happy mothers day dad campaign next mothers day![sic]'